Editorial - 7/4/11

July 4, 2011 at 4:16 PM EST - Updated June 24 at 2:42 PM

It's ironic that July 4th honors our heroic fight for independence, with its empowerment of personal freedom, at a time when overbearing federal policies and regulations, suffocating job creation, reflect anything but. The threat and uncertainly of additional confiscation, through even further taxation of our businesses and citizens, along with a totally out-of-control EPA, are the twin-evils effectively stifling new job creation in our private-sector, the economic engine so despised by current political leadership

This Administration detests fossil fuels, coal in particular. You'll recall when the President, early-on, promised to (quote) "bankrupt the coal companies," knowing, as he admitted, that such would cause electricity-rates to (quote) "skyrocket." Again, keeping the political-control-crazed environmental zealots happy, and to heck with what's best for America. Coal generates 50% of the nation's electricity. For 12 states, that number averages 85%. How do "skyrocketing" electric rates square with a nation whose ludicrous "skyrocketing" debt may soon destroy us.

Exxon-Mobil has announced discovery of a massive new oil field in the Gulf. The Feds have already caused major job loss there, by intentionally failing to fully-rescind the Gulf drilling moratorium. Now, to slow or stop Exxon's new discovery, and thousands of new jobs, with the EPA busy preventing growth elsewhere, the Feds have unleashed the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, determined to prevent sand-dune disruption, to protect the "sagebrush lizard," which it conveniently plans to declare "endangered." Note the ludicrous Fed priority: Forgo major additions to our domestic energy supply, creating thousands more high-paying jobs, in the Gulf, let alone elsewhere, so that sagebrush lizards aren't unhappy. Reason again, that whenever D.C.'s lips move, ignore the words, watch the actions.